Maelstrom: Destroyermen, Book 3

Bringing all guns to bear, Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Reddy (now Supreme Commander by acclamation after the events of 2008's Crusade ), trapped in an alternate dimension with the crew of the WWII destroyer USS Walker , must unite and lead a coalition of displaced American sailors and native, pacifist Lemurians against the raptorlike Grik and their Japanese allies, who possess a more modern battle cruiser. To defeat the Invincible Swarm, the Walker braves the perils of the deep seas, where “mountain fish” threaten to swallow the ship whole. Anderson adds friendly Grik and the descendants of previously displaced humans to the mix of tense battles against impossible odds and close observations of how warriors and weapons perform under stress. Experienced military SF readers will enjoy the attention to technical and historical detail while likely forgiving the occasional bout of melodrama. (Feb.)